


Moonlight Shadows

by WakingDreams



Series: Winter Tales [3]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Children, F/M, Full Moon, Kid Fic, Mystery, Nightmares, Smut, Urban Legends (kind of)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:35:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22961782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WakingDreams/pseuds/WakingDreams
Summary: When the moon is full and high in the sky, the moonlight shadows will come and turn nightmares into reality.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Series: Winter Tales [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1640449
Comments: 18
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just own this fanfiction. Most characters belong to George R.R. Martin and Co. No infringement intended. I only lay claim on the characters I've created myself. Some dialogue has been taken from 8x04. This story is a sequel to World On Fire and Part 3 in the Winter Tales series. It is my way of dealing with what actually went down in Season 8. Banner artwork is made by me.

The full moon was high in the sky and icy winds howling around Casterly Rock blowing snowflakes towards the windows. A fire was crackling in the hearth, its light both warming and mingling with the silver light of the moon, bathing the chambers in a soft glow and making shadows dance across the stonewalls. 

Brienne Lannister of Tarth sank deeper into the furs, her husband’s weight pressing her down as he moved over her. She moaned softly into his kiss when the bulge in his breeches brushed against her core, making her arch against him. Jaime’s left hand had found its way under her smallclothes, soon cupping one of her breasts. He squeezed ever so gently, his thumb flicking a hardened nipple.

Brienne weaved her fingers into Jaime’s shoulder length golden hair threaded with silver, softly tugging at the strands. She was beginning to feel drunk on his touch and kisses but still yearned for more. Their tongues were dueling each other and fighting for dominance as they kissed and it felt very much like they were sparring in the courtyard only a million times better.

Brienne wound her long legs around Jaime, pulling him fully against her and it was his turn to groan this time.

He somewhat reluctantly tore his lips from hers to catch his breath and look at her, her lips swollen from their kisses, a look of silent wonder in those astonishing sapphire blue depths of hers while his emerald green eyes were glazed with wild hunger.

“You know what they say about full moon nights like this, Wife, don’t you?” He lowered his head again, his lips brushing her ear and his warm breath tickling her skin in the most delightful way, making her shiver. “It’s when a woman is said to be most receptive for a man’s seed.”

Brienne laughed softly. “Are you still holding on to that dream of yours of having twelve children with me, Husband?”

Jaime’s face was hovering above hers again, his beard almost grazing her skin and Brienne once again caught herself thinking he would forever be the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. “Of course,” he spoke. “We are two down already which means only ten to go and we’re both still not too old to make it happen.”

Brienne laughed openly now. “Galladon and Joanna are close to their sixth name day. I think we are being a bit too optimistic here, my love.”

Jaime’s lips curled up into a pout. “Alright. How about a compromise? Does six sound like a more achievable number?”

Brienne could not stop laughing. “You’re impossible, Jaime Lannister.”

“Impossibly in love with my breathtaking wife,” he countered, his mouth capturing hers again. “Gods, I don’t think I will ever tire of touching and kissing you.”

“Good,” Brienne returned breathlessly, tugging at his bottom lip with her teeth. “Because I think I could never grow tired of getting touched and kissed by you.”

Jaime smiled against her lips, a mischievous glint in his emerald green eyes. His hand left her breast and wandered down to her thighs, slipping between them and finding her wet and wanting. “My sweet Brienne,” he whispered and the sound of his voice alone nearly made her come undone. “What about allowing your poor starving husband a good taste of you?”

Brienne’s breath quickened when Jaime teased her folds with his fingers. “Yes,” she managed, nodding, her hair framing her face in soft waves and looking almost like a halo in the light of the moon and fire. Marriage and motherhood had softened her appearance, her hair had grown longer and as the Lady of the Rock, she could even be seen wearing gowns from time to time if the occasion called for it.

Jaime moved down her body and positioned his head between her thighs, inhaling her musky scent with appreciation. He looked up to meet her eyes, a cocky grin spreading across his handsome face that made her even wetter than she already was. He lowered his face to her core and ever so slowly licked a stripe along her folds, stopping at her swollen nub and flattening his tongue against it. He wrapped his lips around the bundle of nerves and hummed, enjoying her writhing beneath him in response.

“Gods,” Brienne cried out, her hands tangling harder in Jaime’s hair as she began to rock her hips, grinding against his mouth.

He continued to feast on her soft flesh, making her whimper and ache for release. Without his hand and stump at her hips grounding her, she would have felt like hovering in the air.

“Jaime,” she groaned, her voice raw with pleasure. “Please.” 

He hummed into her skin again, adding more pressure with his lips and pushing two fingers into her wet heat, curling them in just the right way to hit her sweet spot and send her over the edge with a cry loud enough to wake the whole castle.

“Gods, Woman, one fine day you will crush my skull with these magnificent strong thighs of yours,” Jaime said with a teasing smile as Brienne slowly relaxed against him. “Wouldn’t that be the sweetest death though?”

Brienne swatted his shoulder playfully. “You talk too much. Come back up here and kiss me.”

Jaime roared out a laugh. “As my lady wife commands.”

He pressed her back into the furs, kissing his way back up her body and pausing along the way to nip and suck at the tender skin of her stomach and breasts, hissing with a mix of pleasure and relief when Brienne’s hands moved to the laces of his breeches to free his hard cock from its restraints.

She was almost finished with her task when a loud wail cut through the still of the night, making her stop in her tracks.

“Did you hear that?” she asked, alarmed.

“Yes,” Jaime muttered against her neck. “Probably just the howling wind or the ghost of Lann the Clever who’s said to haunt the castle.”

Brienne rolled her eyes. “I doubt he would shriek like a maiden,” she commented. “And neither would the wind. That’s unmistakably the voice of our sweet daughter.”

The cries grew louder and more pitiful, coming closer. “Daddy!” 

Jaime huffed out a breath. “Seven hells.” He urged Brienne to help him fasten the laces of his breeches again, pressing his lips against hers in another quick passionate kiss before halfheartedly retreating from her warmth.

“Daddy!” Joanna’s voice could be heard right outside their door now, followed by another hushed voice belonging to the twins’ nursemaid Ebba.

“Jaime!” Brienne looked utterly scandalized as he moved towards the doorway.

He looked back at her over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow in a curious manner.

A soft blush crept over Brienne’s face and all the way down to her chest. “Your breeches,” she said. “You’d best cover them.”

Jaime looked down at himself and the all too visible bulge in his breeches. “Oh right. Mind if I borrow your housecoat, Wife?”

“You have my permission, Husband,” Brienne returned, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile as Jaime grabbed the dark garment and slipped into it, fastening the belt around his waist as best as he could manage with one hand.

“Daaaaadddyyy!” Joanna’s voice was growing increasingly impatient.

Ebba’s voice became louder too. “Lady Joanna, this behavior of yours is most inappropriate; I will have to tell your Lord Father about thi-ouch!”

Jaime heaved a soft sigh and opened the door, his eyes widening in a mix of surprise and amusement upon witnessing his daughter thrashing about in the arms of her nursemaid, her baby teeth sunk deep into Ebba’s left arm. 

“Lord Jaime!” Ebba let go of Joanna, who immediately rushed to her father’s side, clinging to his left leg. “My apologies. The lady Joanna just wouldn’t calm down.”

“It’s quite alright, Ebba,” Jaime returned, crouching down to his daughter’s level. “What’s this commotion about, Joanna?”

“I couldn’t sleep, Daddy,” Joanna sniffed. “I wanted to see you but Ebba wouldn’t let me. She said you and Mommy needed quiet time but she was lying. Mommy was having bad dreams just like me; we could hear her cry all the way to my chambers.”

Jaime cleared his throat, heat rising in his cheeks. “Well, it’s a stormy night, Sweetling. It’s difficult to find rest, even for grownups.”

Joanna nodded, looking up at him with round sapphire blue eyes still clouded by sleep. “Will you tell me a bedtime story?”

“I will but first you should apologize to Ebba for biting her. That was hardly appropriate behavior.”

Joanna furrowed her brow and shook her head vehemently. “Never. It’s her own fault. She wouldn’t let me pass.”

“No apologies, no bedtime story.”

“But-“

“Your choice, Sweetling.”

“If I must.” Joanna heaved a resigned sigh. “My apologies, Ebba.”

“Thank you, Milady.” Ebba bowed to the little girl who was the spitting image of her father with angelic features and hair like spun gold. Only her eyes were like her mother’s.

“I guess we can be glad this ferocious lion here is still young or else she might have torn your arm off,” Jaime joked, making the twins’ nursemaid laugh a little. He picked up his daughter and hugged her to his chest.

“Certainly, Milord. Thank the gods.”

“Uncle Tyrion said there used to be real lions here below the castle!” Joanna called out.

“That’s true,” Jaime told her. “They are long gone though.”

“Did a lion tear _your_ hand off, Daddy?” Joanna asked, her blue eyes widening at the thought.

“Not quite, Sweetling,” Jaime returned, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “That’s a story we will save for another day though.”

They bid Ebba goodnight and he walked to his daughter’s chambers with the little girl clinging to him tightly.

He gently put Joanna to bed, covering her with furs for it was a cold night, and tucked her in.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Lady Joanna?”

The little girl giggled. “Can you tell me the story of Ser Goldenhand the Brave rescuing the Maiden Fair from the bear again? That’s my favorite!”

Jaime’s eyes widened in fake surprise. “Is that so?” 

“Yes!” Joanna moved to the side a little under the furs to make room for her father to sit next to her.

Jaime put his left arm around his young daughter and hugged her to his side, her head coming to rest on his chest.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“Ebba always makes me wear dresses and makes my hair look pretty. She says it’s inappropriate for girls to wear breeches but Mommy wears them all the time as well. Ebba says it’s unnatural and you and Galladon wouldn’t wear dresses either so why should I want to wear breeches?”

“You are not forbidden from wearing breeches if you want to,” Jaime told her. “The clothes you wear do not change who you are. A woman isn’t any less of a woman just because she opts to wear breeches rather than fancy gowns. You can be whoever you want to be, sweet winter child of mine. Never forget that.”

Joanna smiled. “I won’t.” She snuggled up closer to him, one of her small hands gripping the hem of the housecoat he was wearing as if she never wanted to let go. “Daddy?”

“Hmm.”

“Ebba also says I’m too wild and fierce and will never be a proper lady. She thinks Galladon and I should have a septa to teach us proper manners.”

Jaime laughed a little. “You have your mother and me to teach you proper manners and everything else you need to know in life. I think that will do.”

Joanna nodded. “And Pod and Uncle Tyrion.”

“That’s right.”

“Daddy, I think you and Mommy are the best parents in all the kingdoms and beyond.”

“Well, we are blessed with the best children in all the kingdoms and beyond so you make that very easy.” He pressed another soft kiss atop his daughter’s head.

“I think Ebba likes Galladon more than me because he always does as she says,” Joanna whispered. “I am not sorry for biting her.”

The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Jaime’s mouth, unseen by the little girl. “I know,” he said. “I ask you not to do it again though. Ebba means well. She doesn’t like you any less than your brother.”

Joanna shrugged. “I can try.”

“Good.”

“Daddy, Ebba said if children don’t behave Moonlight Shadow People will come and take them far away to the Lands of Moonlight Shadows. Galladon thinks the Moonlight Shadow People aren’t real but I’m sure I saw them crawl across my walls tonight. Ebba told us they are most likely to show when the moon is full and high in the sky. I’m scared they will take me away.”

Jaime sighed. He knew that urban legend all too well. It had been passed on for generations to scare little children into behaving well at all times. No one knew if the Moonlight Shadow People really existed or not, much like it had been the case with the White Walkers until they had all seen them with their own eyes. He remembered he had been scared of the thought of being taken away by the Moonlight Shadows as well when he had been a boy Joanna’s age but Cersei had allayed his fears by telling him they would fight them together.

“I wish I could tell you the Moonlight Shadow People don’t exist, Sweetling, but I can’t,” Jaime said. “No one knows for sure. What I do know though is that you won’t have to fear them as long as you’re surrounded by so many people who love you and would give their lives to keep you and your brother safe.”

Joanna nodded. “I believe you, Daddy. I think I shall like to hear the tale of Ser Goldenhand fighting the bear now.”

Jaime smiled softly. “Alright then. _Once upon a time, there was a brave knight feared by most and loved by few. One fine day word reached him that a fair maiden needed to be rescued from very bad men who held her captive and-_ ”

Joanna yawned and closed her eyes. Her breathing evened out and three sentences into the tale sleep had claimed her.

“Sweet dreams, my sweet child,” Jaime whispered and gently broke from the child’s embrace to get up from where he sat. He looked back over his shoulder at the sleeping form of his daughter, taller than most girls her age, her angelic features relaxed in sleep and was overwhelmed by a rush of affection and gratitude.

Jaime carefully closed the door to his daughter’s chambers and returned to his own, glad to find his wife was still awake and waiting for him.

“You’re still awake,” he noted.

“So I am. You have a keen observing mind, Husband.”

“Do I sense sarcasm, Wife?” His mouth curved into a smile and he found Brienne mirroring it.

“Why don’t you come back under the covers so I can tend to my husband’s pressing needs?”

“Not pressing at all anymore,” Jaime noted, slipping out of Brienne’s housecoat and carelessly dropping it to the floor.

“Well, I’m sure we can do something about that, too,” Brienne returned, moving towards him on the bed to go back to unlacing his breeches. “Unless telling bedtime stories to our daughter has left you tired as well.”

“Never.” He groaned when Brienne pushed his breeches down and circled his length with her fingers.

“Good,” she said. “Because I’ve come up with quite a few possible names for Child Number 3 in your absence.”

“Really?” Jaime quirked an eyebrow. “I shall like to hear those.”

“Later,” Brienne told him, leaning in to kiss him and pull him back into bed with her. “I’d like to work on bringing the child into existence first.”

“No objections here.”

Jaime let Brienne help him get rid of his clothes and hissed when she stroked him back to hardness in little time, before cradling him with her body. His eyes locked with hers and both moaned in unison as he ever so slowly sank into her. They began to move in perfect rhythm, back and forth, achingly slow at first then faster and faster with increasing intensity until they reached a frenzied peak and their mouths crashed together so they would swallow each other’s cries. 

“Gods, Brienne,” Jaime muttered breathlessly, his body shuddering with release. “I love you beyond words and reason.”

“I love you too,” she whispered. “More than you’ll ever know.”

“But I do know, my love,” he said, touching her face with his good hand. “You have saved me in every possible way and still do every day. I couldn’t ever thank you enough for that.”

Brienne leaned into his hand and kissed his palm. “I don’t want gratitude, Jaime. I only want you.”

“You have me.”

Brienne nodded but could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of loss the very moment she felt him soften inside her and he rolled to her side. He was still close, his lips brushing her neck and his right arm slung around her waist but it still felt like he was being pulled away from her by an unseen force. The ghosts of his past that were always lurking beneath the surface, waiting to come out when the shadows of sleep claimed him. The winds kept howling all around them and the shadows of sleep came closer and closer.

“Jaime,” she whispered, snuggling up closer to him for warmth and to shake off the fear of loss.

“Hmm.”

She could tell by the drowsy sound of his voice he was drifting away. A prickling shiver crept up her spine. _Stay with me_ her mind screamed. _Stay._

“Sleep well, my love,” she said.

He never heard it. The shadows of sleep had already claimed him and torn him away from her, leaving her cold and shaking in the light of the full moon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the moon is full and high in the sky, the moonlight shadows will come and turn nightmares into reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just own this fanfiction. Most characters belong to George R.R. Martin and Co. No infringement intended. I only lay claim on the characters I've created myself. This story is a sequel to World On Fire and Part 3 in the Winter Tales series. It is my way of dealing with what actually went down in Season 8. Banner artwork is made by me.

Strange whispers filled the air, some distant others close, steadily rising and falling like the tide.  
“Jaime.” One voice rose above the rest, instinctively making him hold on tighter to the sleeping form of Brienne.  
“Jaime.” He knew that voice all too well. It would forever remain engraved in his memory and heart and fill his bloodstream with every breath he took. He squeezed his eyes shut so tightly they hurt, desperately willing the voice to fade.  
“Jaime.” He froze when he felt a cold hand on his right shoulder and winced when fingernails dug deep into his skin, leaving four bleeding marks. “You know I don’t take kindly to being ignored.”  
  
Jaime’s eyes opened slowly and he took a deep breath, bracing himself to confront the ghost of his past he knew he would never be able to shake off no matter how hard he tried.  
  
She looked all golden in the light of the full moon and the dying firelight, like a goddess, her cruel beauty almost blinding. 

“Cersei.” He swallowed hard. “What do you want other than disturb my sleep?”

Cersei’s lips curved into a cruel smile, her emerald green orbs flashing. “Look at you, holding on to that big lumbering beast of yours like she is your lifeline and can save you.” She laughed maliciously. “You still are the stupidest Lannister, I see.” She walked towards a window, the hem of her long black robe rustling against the stone floor. “You were always like that. Clingy and longing for affection like one of Tommen’s housecats not the mighty lion you were supposed to be. Your devotion was suffocating, like hands around my throat slowly squeezing the life out of me.” She looked back over her shoulder at him with a look of utter disdain in her eyes. “Well, your great cow must be happy enough to shower you with affection. Must feel like walking in a constant dream to her to have you by her side. Beauty and the Beast.” She laughed again, an eerie sound that sent shivers down Jaime’s spine. “What a cruel jape by the gods to let you be born a man when it should have been me. Every single time I needed you to be strong you failed me. You are weak and pathetic, always feeding off of the strength of others like a parasite.”

“Are you done, Sister?” Jaime narrowed his eyes at her.

Cersei scoffed. “Sister is it now? I am the mother of four of your children but I guess it’s very convenient for you to push that thought to the back of your mind since you have replaced us all easily enough. That great cow of yours must be truly desperate to ignore the fact that we were way more than siblings, too.”

“She loves me as I love her,” Jaime said with a shrug. “Love is all about forgiveness. I understand that’s a concept completely beyond your grasp though.”

“Don’t you dare mock me,” Cersei spat. “I loved you too.”

“I have no reason to doubt it, Sister. It was a twisted kind of love though. You manipulated and bent me in a way that I almost forgot who I was and only lived to make you happy and serve your purpose.”

“You did it all too willingly, _Brother_ ,” she reminded him.

“I did,” he agreed. “That doesn’t make it right though. And once you realized I was slipping out of your grasp your ego just couldn’t handle it. Tyrion and I can be lucky that assassin you sent after us with a crossbow is as trustworthy as a snake.”

“Or maybe I never truly wanted you dead,” she muttered.

Jaime laughed mirthlessly. “Oh please, Cersei. I know you better than that.”

“Is that why you never came to our rescue?” she asked, her voice vulnerable now as her hands traveled to her belly.

“No,” he said. “It doesn’t really matter in the end though, does it? I failed you and you will remind me of it until my dying breath and well beyond probably.”

“It matters to me,” Cersei returned. “I want to know why you chose that ugly beast over your own flesh and blood.” She balled her hands into fists.

“She’s my light in the darkness, the good cutting through the evil my mind so often sees. Loving you was always painful and a struggle, Cersei. Loving Brienne is easy and natural and I continue to find her more beautiful every day.”

Cersei chuckled. “How precious, Jaime. I know they say love is blind but you make it seem like they gouged your eyes out in the Riverlands before they took your sword hand.”

“You wanted the truth, Cersei, I gave it to you.”

“And isn’t it just as pathetic as all of you, Jaime. I wonder what I ever saw in you.”

“That makes two of us.”

She nodded and looked back out of the window into the night. “Your perfect golden twins look so much like us when we were young.”

“They do.”

“Must feel like a cruel gift from the gods, especially for your dear wife.”

“You would have to ask her.”

“Does it ever hurt _you_ to look at them?”

“No,” Jaime said. “I don’t see us in them. They are all Brienne’s and mine.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that, dear Brother. I can hear the Moonlight Shadows whispering your precious daughter’s name. They are close already, Jaime, coming to claim her.”

“What would they want with Joanna? She’s only a child and has never done any harm.”

“You would have to ask them,” Cersei said in a mocking tone. “I’m merely warning you, Brother.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “Maybe blood runs deeper than anything after all.”

Jaime woke with a start, feeling like choking. “Joanna.”

Brienne’s eyes flew open instantly as well. “What is it, my love?” she asked, reaching out a hand to touch his sweat-soaked brow but he blocked her move.

“Joanna,” he croaked again. “She’s in danger.”

Brienne furrowed her brow as he prepared to leave the bed, briefly noticing four bleeding scratch marks on his right shoulder before he covered them with a tunic he haphazardly threw over his head. She was sure these marks had not been there when they fell asleep. 

“In danger? How-“

“The Moonlight Shadows,” Jaime cut her off. “They are close and they want to take her.”

“The Moonlight Shadows? How do you even know they are real?”

“I just know, alright?” Jaime said, more harshly than intended. “We don’t have time for questions, Brienne. Our daughter-“

A scream cut through the night. _A child’s scream._

“Joanna.” Brienne jumped out of bed and bolted towards the door as quickly as her feet would take her, slipping into her housecoat at the same time.

“Take Oathkeeper with you,” Jaime called, rushing out into the hallway and towards their daughter’s chambers.

“Daddy.” Galladon stood in the doorway of his chambers, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. “What is happening?”

“Go back inside your chambers, Son,” Jaime told him. “And stay as quiet as a mouse. Can you do that?”

“Yes, Father.” The boy nodded obediently, doing as he was told.

Jaime had almost reached Joanna’s chambers, heaving a small sigh of relief when Brienne caught up with him with Oathkeeper in her hands.

Another scream could be heard, making them both feel like their blood was running cold. Jaime pushed the door open, his eyes widening in utter disbelief when he saw Ebba bent over his daughter’s bed.

The twins’ nursemaid turned around to face him and Brienne, a slow smile creeping across her face.

“Too late, Milord,” she spoke. “Your pretty bird has flown away into the shadows.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the moon is full and high in the sky, the moonlight shadows will come and turn nightmares into reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just own this fanfiction. Most characters belong to George R.R. Martin and Co. No infringement intended. I only lay claim on the characters I've created myself. This story is a sequel to World On Fire and Part 3 in the Winter Tales series. It is my way of dealing with what actually went down in Season 8. Banner artwork is made by me.

  
Oathkeeper slipped from Brienne’s grip and hit the ground with a dull metallic clang as she stood in the doorway, frozen in shock, so unlike the alert and controlled warrior she usually was.

“Brienne!”

Jaime’s voice cut through the haze surrounding her somehow and she snapped out of whatever state she was in.

“Go and look after Galladon,” Jaime called out. “I’ll handle this.”

Brienne nodded curtly, quickly grabbing hold of her sword again and turning to run towards her son’s chambers.

“Where’s Joanna?” Jaime turned to Ebba then, almost not recognizing the sound of his own voice. “Where’s our daughter?”

Ebba chuckled evilly. “Are you truly so dense, Milord? The Moonlight Shadows took her. That’s what happens to children who misbehave.”

Jaime narrowed his eyes at her. “Watch your tongue, Woman, you are speaking of my daughter.”

“Kingslayer, Sisterfucker, Beasttamer.” The wicked grin on her face grew wider and she made an oof sound when Jaime sprung forward and grabbed her by the hem of her tunic, pushing her hard against one of the stonewalls.

“What now, Milord? Tired of taming the beast in your chambers?”

“Shut your mouth, Woman,” Jaime spat. “How dare you speak of my wife and child like that?”

Ebba chuckled again. “You think we are afraid of you Kingslayer? An ageing cripple like you. We are not. You want your precious daughter back? You are most welcome to follow on her path. Take your big beast with you. The more the merrier.” She laughed when Jaime shoved her to the ground, a high-pitched manic sound that chilled him to the bones.

“Get out of my sight, Woman, and never dare to come back.”

“Oh I won’t, Milord.” The usual hazel color of her eyes changed to pitch black. “But others will. I will see you in your worst nightmare, Kingslayer.” Ebba waved at him from where she lay on the ground and then her body began to convulse violently, twisting in an almost unnatural way, her mouth opening to a point it seemed likely her jaw would break any time.

A cloud of pitch-black smoke emerged from Ebba’s mouth, transforming into a shadowy figure with blood red eyes. It hovered on the wall for a minute before disappearing into a crack in the stone.

Jaime shook himself out his stunned state and rushed to Ebba’s side. Her body lay still, her eyes looking the same as ever as she looked up at him in confusion.

“Lord Jaime, what-?”

“You blacked out, Ebba,” Jaime told her. “You’ll be fine.”

“The Moonlight Shadows,” she muttered. “They told me they would take the lady Joanna. I tried to keep her safe…is she?” 

Jaime shook his head. “No, Ebba. They took her.”

“Oh no.” Ebba buried her face in her hands. “This is all my fault.”

“How?” Jaime looked at her, his brow knitted in confusion.

“I think I called on them, Lord Jaime.”

“What?”

“I didn’t mean to. I thought it was just a silly nursery rhyme that would scare the lady Joanna into behaving well like her brother but-“

“Gods, Woman. Have you lost your mind?” Jaime shook his head, getting up from where he knelt. “Our daughter was taken by some ancient dark forces just because you were overburdened with taking care of her?”

“I am truly sorry, Milord. I never meant for the lady Joanna to be taken away like that. You must know I do not love her any less than the lord Galladon.” Ebba started to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks like a river.

Jaime heaved a soft sigh. “I know. Yet it is not safe for any of us to keep you around for the time being. You may be corrupted by the shadows. I have no other choice but to command you to leave.”

“Lord Jaime, I want to help bring Lady Joanna back.“ Ebba looked at him beseechingly. “Please.”

“I don’t think you can, Ebba. Unless you are aware of a way to seek them out and defeat them.”

The twins’ nursemaid shook her head.

“Pack your belongings then and leave. Dawn will be breaking soon. The shadows shouldn’t be a danger to any of us during the day.”

Ebba nodded in defeat. “Will you allow me to bid farewell to Lord Galladon?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, Milord.” Ebba bowed to him. “I will pray to the Seven that you will get Lady Joanna back safely.”

Jaime merely nodded, finding it very difficult to speak. As Ebba hurried to leave his daughter’s chambers, he looked around, his throat constricting with fear. The bed was a mess, the sheets tangled, partially torn and strewn all over the floor. _Like a battlefield._

Joanna had undoubtedly fought her attackers as best as she could, being a five-year-old child up against supernatural forces. His heart skipped a beat when his eyes fell on a smear of blood on the walls. He walked towards the spot to take a closer look.

A single tear made its way down Jaime’s cheek. “I will find you, Daughter, if it’s the last thing I do. This I pledge to you.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the moon is full and high in the sky, the moonlight shadows will come and turn nightmares into reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just own this fanfiction. Most characters belong to George R.R. Martin and Co. No infringement intended. I only lay claim on the characters I've created myself. Some dialogue has been taken from 8x04. This story is a sequel to World On Fire and Part 3 in the Winter Tales series. It is my way of dealing with what actually went down in Season 8. Banner artwork is made by me.

Joanna Lannister of Tarth was freezing in her nightdress, the icy winds of winter chilling her to the bones, sticks and stones cutting into the soles of her bare feet as she stumbled on alongside the armored Moonlight Shadows by her side. If it had not been for their lack of faces, they would have looked a lot like the guards at Casterly Rock.

Joanna tripped over a tree root and fell, biting back tears as she scraped her knees on the stony ground. The palms of her hands were still bleeding as well where the Moonlight Shadows had cut her to leave a message for her parents written in her blood. Father had told her she would not have to fear the Moonlight Shadow People as long as he and her mother were around to protect her but the Moonlight Shadows had taken her anyway and her parents were far away now. It had all been a lie and that was the deepest cut of all. 

“Move, Child,” one of the guards turned to her in a harsh tone, grabbing her by one arm and dragging her back up from where she knelt in the dirt. The Moonlight Shadows were not capable of human speech but Joanna could still hear them talk inside her head.

_Don’t let them see your tears, she thought._ She blinked back tears threatening to cloud her vision and got back to her feet. “I am Joanna Lannister of Tarth, daughter of Ser Jaime Lannister and Ser Brienne Lannister of Tarth and lioness of the Rock. You will not command me.” She turned her head and narrowed her sapphire blue eyes at the Moonlight Shadow guards. “ _You_ will move!”

The Moonlight Shadow guards fixed their blood red eyes on her as if they could not believe their ears if they had any.

“Move away from me!” Joanna shouted, raising a tiny fist at her captors.

A white owl with glowing blue eyes came flying up to them seemingly out of nowhere, transforming into a tall man with short raven black hair and piercing blue eyes clad in black leather garments.

An amused chuckle fell from the man’s lips, followed by applause. “Well roared, little lion,” he noted in acknowledgement. “You heard her, leave the lady alone.”

The Moonlight Shadow guards bowed and retreated. Joanna tightened her shoulders.

“I am Draven, King of the Moonlight Shadows,” the man spoke again, opening his arms in a gesture of welcome. “Welcome to my Kingdom.”  
  


* * *

  
Brienne felt a sharp pain in her guts, a million times worse than any cut of a blade. The ache was so bad she found it hard to breathe. She walked towards the message on her daughter’s wall, most likely written in her blood.  
“Seek me in the shadows, let the light fall behind,” she read aloud, her gaze traveling to Jaime who had sunken down on the stone floor below the bloody message looking like a picture of misery. “What does that mean?”

Jaime shrugged. “A not so subtle invitation to follow our daughter into the shadows, I suppose.”

“How?” Brienne lowered herself down onto the floor in front of her husband. “We don’t even know where Joanna has been taken to.”

“We don’t,” Jaime agreed. “But I know someone who might.”

“Who?” Brienne wanted to know. “Ebba?”

Jaime shook his head, snorting out a bitter laugh. “No. The same person who warned me of the Moonlight Shadows coming for our daughter and will forever haunt my dreams.”

Brienne swallowed hard and looked away for a split second to maintain her composure.

“You mean _ghost_ rather than person,” she corrected him then, her voice dangerously close to cracking. “Those scratch marks on your right shoulder…that was her doing, wasn’t it?”

Jaime’s good hand traveled to his shoulder immediately as if he felt caught out and he heaved a deep sigh. “It’s like she’s in my bloodstream, punishing me for leaving her to die.”

“The punishment is mine all the same,” Brienne said. “It seems as though even in death she holds a piece of your heart.”

Jaime let out another bitter snort. “You almost make it sound like I was unfaithful to you, my dear wife. This is clearly beyond my control.” He drew himself up from the stone floor and Brienne followed his movements. “I trust our son is safe?”

Brienne nodded. “He’s with Podrick.”

“That’s as good as it gets, I suppose.” Jaime turned to leave his daughter’s chambers but was held back by a firm grip on his left arm.

“Where are you going?”

“Going to see the maester. I will need a good amount of milk of the poppy if my plan’s going to work.”

“This isn’t a plan. It’s madness.” Brienne scoffed. “Our daughter is out there somewhere and all you can think of is visiting your dead twin sister on some dreamlike plane of existence. I don’t see how this is going to help any of us.”

“Cersei knew the Moonlight Shadows were coming for Joanna. She’s our best bet, like it or not.”

Brienne shook her head. “Here we go again. You’re acting like this is all about you when it’s pertaining to me just as much. Joanna is my daughter too. You can’t expect me to sit back and watch my family being torn apart by invisible forces.”

“You don’t understand, Brienne. I am the one who caused us this mess. Joanna said she had seen the Moonlight Shadows on her wall and I told her she had nothing to be afraid of as long as we were around. She trusted me and I lied to her. It’s up to me alone to try and fix this.”

“Jaime.” Brienne reached out and grabbed his face with both hands so he would have to look at her. “This was hardly a lie. You couldn’t possibly know the Moonlight Shadows were real. What you did was good and right. No child should be afraid to go to sleep.”

“We fought legions of White Walkers and Undead and saw fire spitting dragons and a gigantic direwolf up in the fucking North. Don’t tell me I couldn’t have known these Moonlight Shadows really exist.” Jaime lowered his eyes. “Our daughter is one of the very few people in this world who truly believes in me and I failed her. Of all the things I have done wrong in my life, this is without doubt the worst yet.”  
He gently pried Brienne’s hands away and kissed them before turning away from her. “I need to bring her back, if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Fine. Let’s pay your sister a visit together then.”

Jaime snorted out a mirthless laugh. “Have you lost your wits, Wife?”

“I don’t think you’re in the position to ask me that question,” Brienne returned. “We’re in this together. You can either take me with you on that trip to Nightmare Land or come up with a less suicidal plan.”

“Galladon needs his mother. Are we going to take him with us, too?”

Brienne raised an eyebrow in lieu of a comment.

“Seven hells.” Jaime kicked a small chair, sending it flying across the room. “Tell me then, how else will we get our sweet daughter back?”

Brienne shrugged. “I have no idea but I’m sure we will figure it out soon enough. _Together_.” She held out her right hand and Jaime put his good one in hers, weaving his fingers through hers.

“Together it is then,” he said with a reaffirming nod.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the moon is full and high in the sky, the moonlight shadows will come and turn nightmares into reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just own this fanfiction. Most characters belong to George R.R. Martin and Co. No infringement intended. I only lay claim on the characters I've created myself. Some dialogue has been taken from 8x04. This story is a sequel to World On Fire and Part 3 in the Winter Tales series. It is my way of dealing with what actually went down in Season 8. Banner artwork is made by me.

“This is the answer to all of your questions,” Tyrion Lannister proclaimed, hefting a heavy book onto a table in the library with a dull thud, a swirling cloud of dust emanating from the tattered pages.

Jaime coughed and waved the dust cloud away with his good hand. “Chronicles of Westerosi Myths and Urban Legends,” he read aloud, snorting out a mirthless laugh and raising a single eyebrow. “Are you serious, Brother? Your niece is missing in the Lands of Moonlight Shadows and all you’ve got is this dusty fairytale book?”

“It’s not merely a fairytale book but a chronicle,” Tyrion returned, raising his chin in a show of defiance and sitting down at the table with his older brother, Ser Podrick, and sister in law with a softly snoring Galladon on her lap. “Besides, I wasn’t expecting you to read the whole book but take a look at one particular chapter about the Moonlight Shadows and their king.”

“Does the book say how to access the Lands of Moonlight Shadows and defeat the king and his legions? If not, you’re clearly wasting my time here.” Jaime leaned back in his chair, gritting his teeth.

“Impatient and quick-tempered as usual, dear Brother.” Tyrion heaved a soft sigh and filled a cup with red wine despite the early morning hours before draining half of it. “Every battle requires certain tactics, doesn’t it? What do you know about your enemy, hm?”

“I know that they took my daughter and used her nursemaid to get to her.”

“Good. So you know that the Moonlight Shadows apparently have the ability to possess humans. Anything else?”

“Seven hells, is this some fucking quiz?” Jaime slammed his good hand on the table with enough force to wake his son who started to cry in his mother’s arms. “I want my daughter back.”

“Joanna is my daughter too,” Brienne spoke up from next to him. “I believe it’s wise to know what we’re up against before entering unknown territory.”

“Well then.” Jaime lifted his hand and stump in a gesture of defeat. “Go ahead and enlighten us, Brother.”

Tyrion nodded, opening the book in front of him. “According to the chronicle, the Moonlight Shadows are as old as time itself. Little is known about them, as most people believe them to be nothing more than a figment of our imagination. The Moonlight Shadows are ruled by a king who’s said to look human and appears as a white owl with glowing blue eyes sometimes.”

“Jo said she saw an owl like that in front of the window of her bedchamber!” Galladon called out, wide-eyed and fully awake.

“When was that, Son?” Brienne asked him gently.

Galladon shrugged. “A few nights ago. She wanted to show it to me but when we came back to her bedchamber it was gone.”

“Did your sister seem scared?” Jaime wanted to know.

Galladon shook his head vehemently. “No, she said it was the most beautiful owl she had ever seen and it had sat by her window for a while and watched her. She also said the owl made her feel safe. She was only afraid of the Moonlight Shadows on her walls. They never showed as long as the owl was there.” 

“So the Moonlight Shadow King personally sought Joanna out,” Tyrion mused. “Now if that isn’t interesting.”

“What kind of interest could he have in a five year old?” Jaime wondered.

“She must be special to him in some way,” Tyrion said. “He didn’t take Galladon after all.”

“Ebba thinks it’s all about misdemeanor,” Jaime said in a low voice.

Tyrion laughed out loud. “Oh please. Are they still scaring little children with that old wives tale? If that were true, at least half of the child population would be gone by now.” He took another sip of wine. “No there must be another reason to it.”

“Whatever it is, we don’t really have time to figure it out, do we? How long can anyone stay in the Lands of Moonlight Shadows without being corrupted by them?” Brienne pressed Galladon closer to her chest.

“Hard to say. Could be days or merely hours even.”

“What are we waiting for then?” Jaime jumped up from his chair, nearly causing it to tip over. “I’m not going to wait for an invitation from the Moonlight Shadow King.”

“How do you think you can enter the Lands of Moonlight Shadows when we don’t even know where it is?” Brienne asked.

“Ebba mentioned some nursery rhyme she used to call on the Moonlight Shadows,” Jaime told her, starting to pace up and down in front of the table. “And the Shadow that possessed her said we are welcome to follow on our daughter’s path. Isn’t that an invitation as well?”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Tyrion spoke up. “You would need an invitation from the king himself. If your impatient nature forbids you from waiting for one, all there is left to do is a blood ritual.”

“A blood ritual?” Jaime and Brienne blurted out in unison, their eyes wide.

“Yes,” Tyrion confirmed. “Didn’t you mention some writing on Joanna’s wall most likely written in her blood?”

Jaime and Brienne nodded.

“There you go. It can be used to create a portal. You and your children share the same blood. Something like a mirror should serve as a gateway and last but not least there’s this spell here.”  
Tyrion pointed at a page with a blood ritual spell written in red ink.

“How lovely,” Jaime commented with heavy sarcasm. “What’s the catch to it?”

Tyrion raised an eyebrow.

“Oh c’mon, Brother. There’s always some catch.” Jaime crossed his arms in front of his chest, tapping his feet waiting for an answer.

“The spell only works one way,” Tyrion said. “It can get you into the Lands of Moonlight Shadows but it won’t bring you back.”

“So I might be able to save Joanna but not bring her back,” Jaime concluded. “I’ll take that risk.”

“Jaime,” Brienne rose from her chair as well with Galladon in her arms, grabbing her husband by one arm. “It’s too dangerous. You and our daughter could forever be lost in the Lands of Moonlight Shadows.”

Jaime shrugged. “At least she wouldn’t be alone and Galladon would still have you.”

Brienne shook her head in disbelief. “I would like to have a word with my husband in private,” she turned to Tyrion and Pod in a formal tone then. “Would you leave us for a moment please?”

Both men nodded and prepared to leave the table. Brienne handed her son over to Pod on their way out. Once the door had closed behind them, Brienne took a deep breath.

“I can’t believe you,” she said then. “First you consider taking copious amounts of milk of the poppy to visit your dead twin sister on a dreamlike plane of existence and now-“

She got cut off when Jaime grabbed her face with his good hand and stump and pressed his lips to hers in a heated, bruising kiss.

“Brienne,” he whispered, panting quietly. “This isn’t about me or Cersei or us even. It’s about our daughter. I can’t sit around and wait for the Moonlight Shadow King to graciously allow us to enter his kingdom. It’s simply not who I am and you know it.” Jaime kissed her again, more gently this time. “Let me do this,” he almost pleaded. “I trust you to find a way to bring Joanna and me back safely in the meantime.”

“As you wish, Husband,” Brienne gave in, her tone suggesting she was still anything but fond of his plan. “I have one condition though.”

“Anything. Just name it, my love.”

“You will not go alone.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the moon is full and high in the sky, the moonlight shadows will come and turn nightmares into reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just own this fanfiction. Most characters belong to George R.R. Martin and Co. No infringement intended. I only lay claim on the characters I've created myself. Some dialogue has been taken from 8x04. This story is a sequel to World On Fire and Part 3 in the Winter Tales series. It is my way of dealing with what actually went down in Season 8. Banner artwork is made by me.

“You are the owl outside my window.”

It was a statement, not a question. Joanna looked up at Draven with inquisitive sapphire blue eyes.

“I am,” the King of the Moonlight Shadows confirmed.

“Why did you take me?” Joanna wanted to know. “I am just a girl.”

Draven’s lips curved into a half smile and he got down on one knee to meet her at eye level. He almost carefully lifted a hand clad in a black leather glove and lifted her chin up. “You are so much more than that, little lion. One fine day you will understand. Until then I hope we can get to know each other a little better. You know you do not have to fear me, don’t you?”

Joanna tightened her shoulders determinedly. “I am a lioness of House Lannister and the Sapphire Isle. I do not fear a thing.”

Draven chuckled. “See? This kind of attitude is one reason why I chose you, little lion.” He got back to his feet. “You must be tired from your long walk, Milady, and it’s still a long way to go to the castle. How would you feel about continuing by horse?”

Joanna brushed a single strand of hair out of her face. “I would like that, Your Grace.”

Draven nodded and beckoned to someone or something out of sight to approach them.

Joanna heard the sound of leaves rustling and branches breaking, followed by the thundering of hooves against the frozen ground. The little girl’s eyes widened upon spotting the most beautiful horse she had ever laid eyes on. The horse stopped closely in front of her and she could not take her eyes off it. It was pale like the moon, its fur almost translucent and its eyes icy blue. The horse bowed its head and Joanna reached out a hand to touch the soft white fur.

“I take it that you approve of your travel companion?” Draven asked, patting the horse’s neck.

“It’s beautiful,” Joanna said. “I have never seen a horse like that before.”

“It’s a special breed that can only be found in my realm,” Draven explained. “Lunae Lumen. That’s Latin for-“

“Moonlight,” Joanna finished the sentence.

Draven nodded in appreciation. “It’s yours, if you want it.”

Joanna’s eyes gleamed for a split second. “Does it have a name, Your Grace?”

“It’s yours, Milady. You can name it however you wish.”

“Is it a he or a she?”

“It’s a mare.”

“I shall name her Luna then,” Joanna decided. “She shines as brightly as the moon itself.”

The horse snorted as if voicing its approval.

“Luna it is then,” Draven said, reaching out to Joanna again. “May I, Milady?”

Despite the look of mistrust in her eyes, Joanna nodded somewhat reluctantly. She held her breath for a few heartbeats when she felt herself being lifted up from the frozen ground and onto the warm horseback.

“Hold on tight and don’t let go, Milady. Remember this is no ordinary horse.”

Joanna nodded, her small hands grabbing fistfuls of the horse’s mane.

“My guards will escort you safely to the castle,” Draven told her. “I will expect you there.”

He transformed back into the white owl and flew ahead while the Moonlight Shadow Guards surrounded the horse that fell into a gallop. How she hated them and their glowing eyes. They seemed to look right through her and chilled her to the bones.

“Daddy, come find me soon and get me out of here, I beg you,” she whispered, burrowing her face in Luna’s mane so the Moonlight Shadow Guards would not see her tears.

Lions roared and struck fear into their enemies’ hearts. They did not cry.  
  


* * *

  
“So who is it you would like to send along with me to the Lands of Moonlight Shadows for protection, Wife? Our dear eternally good-humored Ser Podrick?” Jaime’s green cat-like eyes held an amused glint.

“No.” Brienne shook her head. “I was thinking of myself.”

The amused spark in Jaime’s eyes faded as quickly as it had appeared.

“ _You_? No, I won’t have it.” Jaime shook his head vehemently, his shoulder length hair looking like spun gold in the early light of morning and fire roaring in the hearth. “Galladon needs protection.”

“Podrick and your brother will provide him with that just fine,” Brienne returned. “Besides, we both know that if the Moonlight Shadows were after our son as well they would long have taken him too.”

“What about the dangers that might await us in the Lands of Moonlight Shadows?”

Brienne snorted. “Oh please. You weren’t that concerned about my safety when we battled legions of Undead during the Long Night.”

“You weren’t my wife and mother of my children then,” Jaime said.

Brienne’s snort turned into a small laugh. “I am still more than that, my dear husband. It is high time I remind you of it. I am coming with you, like it or not.” She raised her chin in defiance. “I have never needed you to be my knight in shining armor but to treat me as your equal and let me fight whatever battle comes our way by your side.”

Jaime heaved a resigned sigh and nodded weakly. “So be it then, Commander. We have always been stronger together after all.”   
  


* * *

“Are we ready?” Tyrion Lannister asked a little while later when Jaime and Brienne returned to the library, Brienne’s blue armor almost glowing in the light of the early morning sun. The book was still on the table and a large golden richly ornamented mirror had been placed in front of one of the great windows. 

"We are,” Brienne said, keeping her head high. Saying goodbye to Galladon and leaving him with Pod had not been easy even though the little boy had taken it as well as a little child could and with the utmost grace. He had given his parents his favorite toy so “a part of him would always be with them and Joanna until they had all returned to him.” Brienne took a deep breath to keep her emotions in check at the memory. Jaime had been right before. Going into battle and putting her life on the line had been easier when she had no one waiting for her to return safely. Nevertheless, her warrior heart left her no choice. There would always be sacrifices to make. Brienne’s left hand gripped Oathkeeper’s hilt so tightly that her knuckles turned white as she walked towards the large mirror by Jaime’s side.

Tyrion cleared his throat, getting ready to recite the words that would create a portal to the Lands of Moonlight Shadows. “You know what you have to do and you will both have to be quick about it. The portal will only stay open for a very limited amount of time. It’s time for the blood sacrifice now. Remember it needs to be one and the same dagger.”

Jaime nodded and pulled a dagger out of his sword belt, as golden as everything about him and this place. His eyes sought Brienne’s, shining emeralds meeting sapphire blue depths. Brienne gave him an encouraging nod and held out a hand to him. He cut into his stump first, deeply enough to draw blood and make him wince a little, before doing the same to Brienne’s left hand. She touched his stump with her bleeding palm so their blood would mingle before pressing it to the mirror, creating a bloody imprint on the glass.

“May your search for my precious niece be successful and you all return safely to us,” Tyrion said.

Brienne’s left hand clasped Jaime’s stump again, her touch light as a feather. He found that he could not take his eyes off her. She looked like the Warrior made flesh, her pale complexion framed by light blonde wavy hair that almost grazed her shoulders, her blue armor a lovely contrast and complimenting the color of her eyes. His wife, the mother of his children, his lover, his equal, his life. He could hear Tyrion chant words seemingly from afar and he could not make out their meaning.

The world around him seemed to dissolve and Brienne was his only anchor. A stream of red blood and white light engulfed them and pulled them farther and farther away from Tyrion until his brother’s steady chanting faded into oblivion.

In the end all that remained was an all encompassing silence and Brienne by his side as they drifted into an unknown world.


End file.
